Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) usage has been associated with poor adherence to asthma medications. Previous studies showed inconsistent results due to small sample sizes, demographic differences across populations studied, and poor differentiation of CAM types. This study aimed to provide more robust data on the use of CAM by American adults with asthma.
The data used for this study came from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey. A total of 2,736 adults with asthma were included. This cross-sectional analysis focuses on CAM use cross-racially/ethnically and how CAM correlates with emergency department visits for asthma exacerbation. Descriptive statistics and multivariable logistic regression were used to determine the study’s findings.
Black Americans and Hispanic Americans showed lower rates of CAM use compared to white Americans. CAM use was associated with decreased odds of an emergency department visit related to asthma exacerbation for white Americans, with no association found for Black Americans and Hispanic Americans. Further research is needed that takes additional factors into account, such as CAM type and how CAM is used [1].
Source:
[1] Kim, E. J., Simonson, J., Jacome, S., Conigliaro, J., Hanchate, A. D., & Hajizadeh, N. (2019). Disparities in complementary alternative medicine use and asthma exacerbation in the United States. Journal of Asthma, 57(8), 866–874. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2019.1614615
